Living Books series (various versions, platforms and re-issues)
Living Books was a series of interactive storybooks for children, first produced by Brøderbund and then spun off into a jointly owned (with Random House) subsidiary, which were distributed on CD-ROM for Mac OS and Microsoft Windows. The series began with the release of Just Grandma and Me (an adaptation of the book by Mercer Mayer) in 1992; other titles in the series included The Tortoise and the Hare, Arthur's Teacher Trouble (and other adaptations of books by Marc Brown), Dr. Seuss, and Berenstain Bears titles. While most games aren't really hard to find at all, since some of them have been made available on Wanderful Interactive Storybooks apps for the iPad and Mac in 2012, their V1.0 versions, international releases, and re-issues from the 90s are hard to find, and a few of the versions/re-issues are rumored to have become extinct. Just Grandma and Me (Tandy VIS release, 1992) The very first edition of the first Living Book, Just Grandma and Me, was originally released for the Tandy Video Information System (VIS) video game console. It has a smaller 320x200 resolution like many other older MS-DOS games and also had a few differences in the graphics and sound. This version was so scarce to find on any auction sites like eBay or Amazon, and it has not made its way online ever since, nor has anyone made playthroughs of this version. Only scans of the front and back of the box as well as the CD label had been found on The Old Computer website. I bought the game on eBay in late 2015 and have uploaded the full game (also with scans of the box, CD label, and user guide packed in the file folder) on MEGA. The key is: !m7jwTFgjtFKO0fR3i0Rj_A However, the original .EXE application "LBPLAY" doesn't work on any Windows computer, so I injected the "DIB" device driver, the "GRANDMA.EXE" application, "FILE.DLL", "RSRC.DLL" and the "PAGES" 512 outline file from the 1992 512x384 MPC platform to replace the original files to make it playable on Windows XP. Editing the outline file, I also included the Arthur's Teacher Trouble preview at the end of the story because there was no Previews button on the Options page. Now you're gonna have to run the game on a Windows XP computer because this version of the game won't work on ScummVM. -BigRedMonster86 (talk) 00:09, May 17, 2018 (UTC) Arthur's Teacher Trouble (Found PC Guide version, 1999) Despite the V1.0 version of the game that can be found on eBay, Living Books Wiki stated there is also a PC Guide version released in 1999. This was only an international release, and it is stated that it has become extinct because it only appeared in the magazine of the same name. This version, however was very scarce to find on eBay, and I have recently bought it and will upload that one on MEGA as well. It finally came in the mail last night, so I've uploaded the game itself as an ISO image, along with scans of the covers and CD label, to MEGA. The key is: !Pk-W3ookKyAgd5-IorISbA -BigRedMonster86 (talk) 00:09, May 17, 2018 (UTC) V1.0 releases of the first four games (1992-1993) Despite the 1994 re-releases by Random House being available on eBay, the original V1.0 Broderbund releases of the first four games from 1992-1993 are becoming hard to find online. The first two games had previews for Arthur's Teacher Trouble and The Tortoise and the Hare. The Ruff's Bone preview also had one difference from the later version of the preview: Towards the end, a line was changed from "Then get Broderbund's Living Book, Ruff's Bone!" to "Then get Living Books' Ruff's Bone!" due to the series turning into a joint venture with Random House. The Tortoise and the Hare V1.0 has been uploaded to archive.org. You can also download the files there. The original V1.0 versions predate the hybrid format, so the MPC Windows and Macintosh versions were shipped on separate discs. I've uploaded V1.0s for all the first four titles in their MPC Windows platforms on MEGA. Key: !Fz_pk5DgZQiG3OsERsfWyA I also have the Macintosh platforms for the four V1.0s. Now that I finally got the Mac platform for the V1.0 version of The New Kid on the Block, I've uploaded the four V1.0s for the Mac here on MEGA. Key: !2aB_LzkITZaXHrm6kj3mDg Living Books 1993 Sampler CD Despite the usual Living Books Demos or Sampler that were integrated within or into each product, Living Books Wiki states that there was a much older sampler CD that was just a collection of the V1.0 demos all packed onto one disc, with no extra interface. This sampler CD has been long lost and forgotten until I recently bought it within a lot of sampler CDs on eBay this October, and I've uploaded an ISO and scans of the cover and pamphlets to MEGA. BigRedMonster86 (talk) 04:22, October 30, 2019 (UTC) Little Monster at School (1993 Philips CD-i version) One Living Books game, Little Monster at School, was released on a Philips CD-i console portin 1993 before it was released on MPC Windows and Mac in 1994. Like the other Living Book by Mercer Mayer, it also has a smaller 320x200 resolution had a few differences in the graphics and sound. It also includes a rare credits sequence that didn't make it into any Windows/Macintosh computer versions. The CD-i version of the game used to be playable on Vizzed.com, but the ROM on that site appears to be corrupt and unplayable. GeorgeQGreg also uploaded an ISO image file of the CD-i to archive.org. You will need to find a physical CD-i player console to be able to play it, because running it on CD-i Emulator will only display screen glitches. Living Books Sampler V2 (1996) This sampler is very similar to the first sampler (which was included on The 'Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight), except this one includes every title that uses the 512x384 resolution. This one is mostly identical, except for the opening and closing screens. Simon does not give out contact information when the game is quit, instead just leaving on a simple "Okay, bye!" This one still lacks the fading just like the previous sampler. For Sheila Rae, the Brave, the opening portion has a black background instead of white in the real game, and also plays as if it were in "Read to Me" mode, since you can't click on the pictures to navigate. This sampler was a separate disc itself with no extra interface, and was not included with or in any Living Books game. ScummVM has this demo available for download here. There's one platform for the Windows, one for the Mac. Living Books Alive! (Rare 1997 VHS) A user has recently posted a video on YouTube showing proof that there was an allegedly rare "Living Books Alive!" VHS. The VHS tape was once available on some auction sites like Listia.com and eBay but it has been sold out. It's possible that the tape could be included in some Living Books curriculum kit. Category:Lost Video Games